St Dominic's Priory School (Stone)
Encyclopedia
St Dominic's Priory School is an independent Catholic
School in the town of Stone, Staffordshire
. Stone, itself, is an attractive, thriving market town with an expanding population of 12,500, halfway between Stoke-on-Trent
and Stafford
. The school buildings are set within the pleasant grounds of St Dominic’s Convent. The school has a close relationship with the resident Dominican
community of sisters, with St Mary’s Nursing Home and with the Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception and St Dominic, the centre of an active Catholic community with a resident priest and deacon. It is joined on to this Convent founded by Margaret Hallahan
.
. This school chapel was the centre of the Catholic mission started by Blessed Dominic Barberi
in 1843 and continues to be a place of pilgrimage. Both the parish church and the chapel are used by the school for Mass and other services. The buildings have Grade II listed status and houses various and important stain glass, statues and gargoyles, as assigned in Public sculpture of Staffordshire and the Black Country (G. Noszlopy, F. Waterhouse, 242).
According to the school history, it was founded after a young girl, the niece of one of the sisters, refused to leave the convent, and holding on to the railings, and she was then educated there.
The school incorporates an all-girls senior school and a mixed junior school and nursery which has been defined as good to outstanding by Ofsted
. It has consistently high results at both GCSE and A level, in 2008 becoming one of the top 200 A-level institutions nationally. and 12th best small school. The school achieved an average A-level point score per pupil of 971.8, placing it second in Staffordshire under this measure and the best independent girls' school. ISI describes the school as very good, where lessons are often like that of a University tutorial. Outstanding behaviour for learning and courtesy are typical qualities of girls at the school. The 2004 ISI Inspection defined the pupils as "courteous towards staff and visitors and respectful to all. The older girls provide excellent role models for the younger ones. The pupils exhibit courtesy and good manners in all that they do. Their behaviour is calm and civilised and they display good table manners". The school has three departments, Nursery, Prep and Senior, located on the same site: All departments occupy their own self-contained buildings but are united as one school.
The school's motto is "Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare" : "To Praise, to bless, to teach",
, Barbara Mitchel-Hill
, and poets and scientists, and hosts conferences on scientific, ethical, spiritual and academic issues. Students have many opportunities and take part in theatrical life locally and further afield. Indeed, many of its alumni have moved onto life in business, film and theatre including Charlotte Salt
.
Students at St Dominic's Priory pride themselves on their social enterprise skills and in 2009 made an attempt at breaking the record for the largest Red Nose on Comic Relief Day.
The school's current head teacher is Pat Adamson.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
School in the town of Stone, Staffordshire
Stone, Staffordshire
Stone is an old market town in Staffordshire, England, situated about seven miles north of Stafford, and around seven miles south of the city of Stoke-on-Trent. It is the second town, after Stafford itself, in the Borough of Stafford, and has long been of importance from the point of view of...
. Stone, itself, is an attractive, thriving market town with an expanding population of 12,500, halfway between Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
and Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
. The school buildings are set within the pleasant grounds of St Dominic’s Convent. The school has a close relationship with the resident Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
community of sisters, with St Mary’s Nursing Home and with the Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception and St Dominic, the centre of an active Catholic community with a resident priest and deacon. It is joined on to this Convent founded by Margaret Hallahan
Margaret Hallahan
Margaret Hallahan was an English Catholic nun, foundress of the Dominican Congregation of St. Catherine of Siena ;-Life:...
.
History and Ethos
Within the grounds stands the small chapel of St Anne designed by PuginPugin
Pugin most commonly refers to Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin , English architect and designer.Other members of his family include:...
. This school chapel was the centre of the Catholic mission started by Blessed Dominic Barberi
Dominic Barberi
Blessed Dominic of the Mother of God, born Dominic Barberi was an Italian theologian and a member of the Passionist Congregation...
in 1843 and continues to be a place of pilgrimage. Both the parish church and the chapel are used by the school for Mass and other services. The buildings have Grade II listed status and houses various and important stain glass, statues and gargoyles, as assigned in Public sculpture of Staffordshire and the Black Country (G. Noszlopy, F. Waterhouse, 242).
According to the school history, it was founded after a young girl, the niece of one of the sisters, refused to leave the convent, and holding on to the railings, and she was then educated there.
The school incorporates an all-girls senior school and a mixed junior school and nursery which has been defined as good to outstanding by Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
. It has consistently high results at both GCSE and A level, in 2008 becoming one of the top 200 A-level institutions nationally. and 12th best small school. The school achieved an average A-level point score per pupil of 971.8, placing it second in Staffordshire under this measure and the best independent girls' school. ISI describes the school as very good, where lessons are often like that of a University tutorial. Outstanding behaviour for learning and courtesy are typical qualities of girls at the school. The 2004 ISI Inspection defined the pupils as "courteous towards staff and visitors and respectful to all. The older girls provide excellent role models for the younger ones. The pupils exhibit courtesy and good manners in all that they do. Their behaviour is calm and civilised and they display good table manners". The school has three departments, Nursery, Prep and Senior, located on the same site: All departments occupy their own self-contained buildings but are united as one school.
The school's motto is "Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare" : "To Praise, to bless, to teach",
The Arts and Enrichment at St Dominic's Priory
St Dominic's Priory School has a high reputation for achievement in the Arts and in the variety of its enrichment programmes such as Duke of Edinburgh, Public Speaking and Enterprise. Students go on to study at Universities such as Birmingham, Keele, Warwick Edinburgh to study Medicine, Art or Physiotherapy. The school has regular visiting speakers including Dom Anthony Sutch, Trevor BaylissTrevor Bayliss
Trevor Harley Bayliss is a former coach of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. Bayliss is a former cricketer for New South Wales and a former coach...
, Barbara Mitchel-Hill
Barbara Mitchel-Hill
In 2010 Mitchelhill was awarded the Solihull Children's Book Award.Barbara Mitchel-Hill is a children's author of the Damian Drooth series, and winner of the Solihull Children's Book Award for her book Stormrunners....
, and poets and scientists, and hosts conferences on scientific, ethical, spiritual and academic issues. Students have many opportunities and take part in theatrical life locally and further afield. Indeed, many of its alumni have moved onto life in business, film and theatre including Charlotte Salt
Charlotte Salt
Charlotte Salt is an English actress. She attended St Dominic's Priory School ....
.
Students at St Dominic's Priory pride themselves on their social enterprise skills and in 2009 made an attempt at breaking the record for the largest Red Nose on Comic Relief Day.
The school's current head teacher is Pat Adamson.